Electric railway.



No. 686,645. Patented Nov. l2, I90I.

. L. WOODS.

ELECTRIC RAILWAY. (Application filed Fab. 1, 1901.;

(No Model.)

WITNESSES INVENTOR d fim, 4.1 f "KY"? 1% 43 ATTORNEY r NORRIS FEFERS00.. PNUTO-LITHQWWASHINGTON n c UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LYATES IVOODS, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS; TONATIONAL SAFETY THIRD RAIL COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF VEST VIRGINIA.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 686,645, dated November12,1901. Application filed February 1. 190i. Serial No. 45,560. (Nomodel.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that LLYATES WOODS,a citizen of the United States, and aresident of New York, in the county of New York and State of New York,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric Railways,of which the following is a specification.

My present invention relates to certain improvements in that type ofelectric railways ID in which the current main or feeder supplying thepropelling energy is preferably buried Y or insulated throughout thelength of the entire route and is provided with normally dead sectionaltrolley or work conductors or rails located parallel thereto andpreferably between the lines of tram-rails and nearly flush with thesurface of the roadbed, each of said sectional conductors having means(preferably located in water-tight boxes outside of the road-bed) forautomatically connecting it to the current-feed main and disconnectingit therefrom as the car or vehicle passes over them, said car or vehiclebeing usually provided with one or more contact brushes or trolleys,which serve to convey the current to and through the propelling-motorlocated on the car. 7 7

My invention has for its objects,first,to render the switch apparatusabsolutely certain of action, and, second, to provide a system in whichsafety in operation is assured. These objects are secu red by theapparatus hereinaf-v ter described, the features I deem novel with mebeing particularly specified in the claims which follow thisspecification.

Referring now to the drawing, in which similar letters and figures ofreference represent corresponding parts, the figure is a diagrammaticview of my improved system as applied to a single-line railway, togetherwith the circuits and circuit connections of the apparatus carried bythe car operating upon the tram-rails.

In the drawing, A represents the electrical generator. B is thecurrent-feeder main leading therefrom. O is the return-main leading tosaid generator. D is one of the tram-rails over which the current passesfrom the driving-motor and thence to said return-main.

E is the car-driving motor, which operates between the car-wheel F andtrolley G. The

controller device H is preferably arranged in circuit between said motorE and the afore said trolley. I I I are the sectional trolley or workconductors, which when cutiint'o the circuit convey current from thefeed-main B to said car-driving motor.

2 and 3 are the armatures of a motor-generator. 4 and 5 are thefielchnagnets of said motor-generator.

At It is shown a brake mechanism. 51 is the hand device or rhcostat forcontrolling said brake mechanism. a

K represents an energy-reservoir, which may be a storage battery, asherein shown at K, or any other device adapted to receive and storeenergy from any suitable kind of a reversible acting engine mechanism,as shown at 2 and 4, and thereafter return some of said energy to saidengine mechanism for the purpose of temporarily operating the same.

M M M are electromagnetic pick-up or circuit-controlling devices, eachof which when'energized by current flowing through its coil or coilswill pick up or close the circult between one sectional or workconductor and the feed-main, then open the normallyclosed circuitbetween said conductor and the return-main, and will force said circuitsto assume their normal condition when said I current ceases to flow. Thepick-up devices which translate the magnetic energy into power arepreferably solenoid-cores N N N, which are mechanically connected to thebell-crank levers of primary switches O O O" in such a manner that thesaid cores will move through quite a space before they act before beingcalled upon to lift the said bell- 5 crank lovers to close the maincircuit. 1 P P P are secondary switches through which the aforesaidsectional conductors and said apparatus at M M M" are normally connectedto the earth or return-main.

1 tends to put the brake on.

At J are shown several automatic signallamps, which will glow whenever acar arrives at that particular section of the roadway.

The mode of operation of the system is as follows: Suppose a car is overthe picl -up apparatus at M and is being supplied with current throughthe same. The path of the current is then as follows: Starting fromgenerator A, the current passes over feed-main B, conductors 6 and '7,switch 0, contacts V, conductor 8, solenoid-coil 9, conductor 10,magnet-coil 11, conductor 12, work-conductor section I", trolley G tocontroller H, where the current divides. A portion thereof passes overcontroller H, resistance 13, motor E, carwheel F, tram-rail D,conductors V and X to return-main C. The other portion of said dividedcurrent flows over conductor 14 and the circuits of parts 3 and 5 ofsaid motorgenerator. Thence said current passes along conductor 15,shunting the driving-motor E, and then joins the motor-circuit at 16. Inthe meantime the normally open primary switch 0 is held closed by theenergy of solenoid at M, and the normally-closed or secondary switch Pis held open by the energy of magnet 11. The current passing, asdescribed, through parts 3 and 5 of said motorgenerator causes thatportion of the machine to act as a motor, and thereby drive the part orarmature 2, which then acts as a transferrer of energy or generator andfurnishes current which charges the storage apparatus or battery K. Thestorage-battery circuits are as follows: The circuit from part 2 of themotorgenerator starts from the lower brush thereof and passes overconductor 22 across the contacts at switch part 23,which is insulatedfrom controller H by insulation 25. Thence the current passes throughbattery K, thence to the upper brush of part 2 of the motor-generator.If switch 27 is closed, as shown, some of the current will pass throughthe lamps or other devices at L, causing their operation thereby. Acircuit leads from switch 27 to the solenoid 50, thence to rheostat 51,thence along the return to battery K. The action of the solenoid holdsthe brake-shoe off or away from the car-wheel, while spring 52 Thepressure of the brake-shoe against the car-wheel may be controlled bythe operation of said rheostat 51. At 53 is shown a shunt which may bemade so as to shunt more or less current around the series or upper coilof the solenoid. By this arrangement the magnets may be made quitesmall, even when large currents are used. In any event, when largecurrents are employed to operate the cars I prefer to wind the seriescoil (the upper coil shown) with a ribbon or sheet-metal conductor. Asshown in the drawing, the trolley G has extended across the gap and madecontact with sectional conductor 1, thereby causing some current toshunt through said conductor, thence down over conductors 12 and 54,initially operating coil 55, conductor 56, secondary switch P, thence tothe returnmain. Saidcoil55beingthusenergizedcauses its core to be drawnup, thus closing the switch-contacts at V. Such action causes current tofiow from the feed-main in the manner previously described, and as suchcurrent passes through magnet-coil 11 said magnet will cause switch P toopen, thus cutting off the ground connection. The pick-up apparatus at Mshows parts as they appear just after the primary switch 0 has closedand the instant before secondary switch I? has opened.' The springs 57press against the joints of the switches P P P, thus causing sufficientfriction to hold said switches at any point where the switches may beleft after mechanical or magnetic action has ceased to affect them.For-instance, after trolley Ghas passed from work-cond uctor I" allcurrent is then cut off from the pick-up apparatus of that section. Thenthe solenoid-core of that section will cease to hold primary switch 0"closed and magnet 11 will not influence secondary switch P, but spring57 will cause said switch to maintain its position until the weight ofsaid solenoid presses upon the lever of switch 0' (and thereby openingthe contacts at V) until said lever makes contact with switch P, andthus causing said switch to close. Then said apparatus will be in theposition shown at M. At 58 I have shown lamps in circuit across thebrushes of part 3. The contact 59 may be made any suitable length, so asto keep that circuit closed as long as desired. In starting from restwhen all of the traclccircuits are dead controller H is moved so as toclose the contacts at 23 Thus the motor-generator starts up, becausethen parts 2 and 4 receive energy from battery K. Current is thengenerated in part 3. The said current would flow as follows: Startingfrom the upper brush of part 3, the current passes over 14, 59, H, G, 1,12,54, 55, 56, P, 60, W, D, F, 15 to the lower brush of part 3. (At thistime lever H has not been moved far enough to cut resistance 13 into thecircuit.) This movement of the current causes the initial action of thepick-up apparatus.

Having now described one way of arranging my apparatus, while notlimiting the invention to the apparatus shown and described, I claim asnew- 1. In an electric railway, the combination with the feeder, of asingle series of normally dead work-conductor sections, anelectromagnetic primary switch for each work-conductor section, aconnection from each of said sections to ground or return-main andincluding an initially-energizing coil for actuating said primary switchand a secondary switch for controlling said ground or return connection,and a connection from each workconductor section to the feeder andincluding a coil for holding the primary switch closed and a coil whichinitially actuates the secondary switch, each of said switches beingmagnetically actuated by one magnet only.

2. In an electric railway, the combination with the feeder, of a singleseries of normally dead work-conductor sections, an electromagneticprimary switch for each of said sectional conductors, a connection fromeach of said sections to the ground or return-main and including aninitially-energizing coil for actuating said primary switch and asecondary switch for controlling said ground or return connection, aconnection from each work-conductor section to the fecdenand including acoil forholding the primary switch closed and a coil which initiallyactuates the secondary switch, and a circuit which is adapted to conveya portion of the main current in shunt from the primary switch to thesection workconductor.

3. In an electric railway, the combination of a single set of normallydead work-conduc tor sections arranged in a single line, one of saidsections being adapted to take current constantly from the feed-main anddeliver a large portion of the same to the car motor or motors as thecar moves along, while the remaining small portion of said current isshunted through a ground or return connection to bring into action asecond section, a primary switch for each of said sections forcontrolling the flow of current thereto, an initially-acting or primarycoil for each primary switch (normally energized by said shuntedcurrent) in a connection between the said conductor-section and theground or return and in shunt to the said motor, a secondary coil inseries connection with said motor for maintaining the action of saidprimary switch, an electromagnetic secondary switch included in circuitwith said primary actuating-coil and controlling the ground or returnconnection thereof, and a secondary magnet which actuates said secondaryswitch only, the latter magnet being in series with said secondary coiland with said motor, each of said switches being magnetically actuatedby one magnet only and each magnet being adapted to actuate one switchonly.

4. In an electric railway, the combination with the feeder, of a singleseries of normally dead work-conductor sections, an electromagneticprimary switch for each work-conductor section, a connection from eachof said sections to ground or return and including aninitially-energizing coil for actuating said primary switch and anelectromagnetic secondary switch for controlling said ground or returnconnection, a connection from each work-conductor section to the feederand including a coil for holding the primary switch temporarily closedand a coil which initially actuates the secondary switch, and means(independent of said magnets) for holding said secondary switchtemporarily open, each of said switches being magnetically actuated inone direction and mechanically actuated in the reverse direction, andeach magnet actuates one switch only.

5. In an electric-railway system, substantially as described, thecombination with the single line of work-conductor sections, and the twoswitches for each section, the first of said switches being normallyopen and adapted to control the flow of current to one of saidconductor-sections, the second switch being normally closed and adaptedto control the normal connection between the said conductor-section andthe ground or return, each of said switches being magnetically affectedby one magnet only, the'said magnets being normally energized by thepowercurrent, of a motor-generator carried by the car, one side of saidmotor-generator being in constant electrical communication with thewheels of said-car and with the current-collector or trolley, the otherside of said motor-generator being in constant communication with apower-storage device carried by the car, and means for bringing saidmotor-generator into action to temporarily operate said primary switch.

6. In an electric railway, the combination with the feeder, of a singleseries of normally dead conductor-sections, each adapted to conveycurrent to the car-motor, an electromagnetic primary switch for each ofsaid conductor-sections, a connection from each of said sections toground or return and including an initially-energizing coil foractuating said primary switch and an electromagnetic secondary switchfor controlling said ground or return connection, a connection fromeachconductor-section to the feeder and includ ing a coil for holdingclosed the primary switch only, and a coil which initially actuates andholds open the secondary switch only, the said hold-up coils being inseries with each other, and means whereby when the current is cut oftfrom said coils the secondary switch will be caused to maintain itsposition untilv it is mechanically closed by the primary switch,substantially as set forth.

7. The combination with a motor-car, of sectional working conductorsarranged in a single series along the line of way, collectors I carriedby the car and adapted to engagewith said conductors, electromagneticdevices between the work conductors and the feedmain, each of saiddevices being adapted to be normally operated by the current shuntedthrough the collectors from a preceding sectional conductor, amotor-generator (carried by the car), for actuating said magneticdevices when the current is cut off from the carmotor, one side of saidmotor-generator being normally in circuit with one or more of saiddevices and adapted to act, at times, as a generator, and, at othertimes, as a motor, while the otherside of said motor-generator isnormally in communication with an auxiliary source of power carried bythe car S. In an electric-railway system of the char- IIO acterdescribed, the combination with the feeder and the sectionalwork-conductors, of electromagnetic devicesfor connecting thework-conductor sections to the feeder in sequence, a traveling cardrawing power-current from said feeder and carrying a cardriving motor,a motor-generator, a storage device, a brake device, a controller forthe car-motor and a controller for said brake device, one of the activeparts of said motorgenerator being in communication with the saidstorage device and with said brake device, while the other active partof said motor-generator is electrically connected to the car-motor andto the controller therefor and communicates with said feeder, wherebyenergy is transferred from said feeder to said storage device and tosaid brake device for the purpose set forth.

9. In an electric railway, the combination with the feeder of asectional conductor, a connection between each conductor-section and thefeeder, an electromagnetic switch for each such connection, and ashunt-circuit connected through a resistance between the primary switchand the sectional conductor.

10. In an electric railway, the combination with the feeder of asectional conductor, a

connection between each conductor and the feeder, a normally openprimary switch for each such connection, a connection between eachconductor-section and the ground, an initially-acting coil in saidground connection for closing said primary switch, a secondary 'switchin said ground connection, a coil in said feeder connection for holdingthe primary switch closed and a second coil in said feeder connectionwhich initially actuates and holds the secondary switch open after theprimary switch is closed.

11. In an electric-railway system, the combination with the feeder ofwork-conductor sections, normally open primary switches for connectingsaid conductor-sections with the feeder, primary coils connected betweenthe said sections and the ground or return and in shunt to the car-motorfor initially actuating said primary switches, secondary coils connectedbetween said work-conductor sections and the feeder and in series withthe car-motor for holding said primary switches closed, normally closedsecondary switches in the circuits of the primary coils and which areactuated as soon as the primary switches are closed, coils in serieswith said secondary coils and with said car-motor for initiallyactuating said secondary switches, and gravity devices controlled by thesaid primary and secondary coils and loosely connected to said primaryswitches whereby these switches are started by said gravity devicesafter said devices have attained their motion, substantially as and forthe purpose set forth.

Signed at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York,this 31st day of December, A. D. 1900.

LYATES WOODS.

WVitnesses:

PETER J ONES, KATE MARTIN.

